Disclaimer - Once again, like a broken record, I own nothing of Mortal Kombat.


"Whoa, what? My what?" Celeste gasped with widened eyes. "No way! I know my mother and her name sure as hell isn't Panedere!" she hissed, taking a step back. Sindel shook her head but kept a steady gaze on the brunette before her.

"Your biological mother was indeed Panedere. She may not have raised you, but I assure you it was because of circumstance. Her greatest wish was to be a part of your life, but fate would not permit it," the Edenian queen explained. Celeste opened her mouth to dispute Sindel, but decided against it. She instead stood there staring at the floor, her mind steadily processing thought after thought.

The past couple of moments served to flip her world upside-down. One minute, she was simply a young college student who had been caught up in some strange shit that only Hollywood could think up, and the next, she is told that she is the daughter of a woman who lived in another world. What in the hell?

No way is this true!

The brunette balled her fists upon reaching her conclusion. However, something else was there, reminding her of everything that proved Sindel could very well be telling the truth. This voice made her remember just how vastly different from everyone else back home and how she felt a connection to Edenia. Likewise, it reminded her of her strange fascination with everything concerning Pandere, such as her hut and her amulet. Though Celeste tried to ignore this other voice, she could not. It made sense and she hated it.

Isn't this just peachy?

Celeste frowned, feeling moisture welling up in her eyes, but she refused to cry. Not in front of this woman. She may not have been able to stop herself in front of the cryomancer, but she was determined to keep it in this time, or at least until she was alone again. After a deep, calming breath, Celeste returned her gaze to the royal.

"Alright, you said that Panedere wanted to be around but couldn't. Why not? What happened?" she asked dryly.

"That is something you must learn for yourself," Sindel responded.

"And exactly how am I supposed to do that?" Celeste inquired matter-of-factly with narrowed eyes.

"The amulet, child. It will be your link to Panedere. My main purpose in this entire ordeal was to ensure you received it," the woman clarified, holding out the charm. Celeste eyed it but did not reach for it.

"Last time I touched that thing, it shocked me," the brunette muttered, causing Sindel to sigh in exasperation.

"It will not harm you, just the opposite. It is meant to serve as your guide and help you uncover what you are truly capable of. This was your mother's gift to you. Please, take it," the royal encouraged, still holding the amulet.

Celeste once again looked at the necklace and after a while, slowly reached for it. Once her fingers touched the cool silver, she realized that she wasn't going to be shocked this time. She then carefully took the amulet from Sindel and held it in her own hands.

"Is anything supposed to happen?" She asked while studying the charm.

"No, not instantaneously. It will take time and would best serve you if you wore it every day as Panedere did," the queen insisted. The brunette only nodded, her green orbs still focused on the necklace.

"Now, I have told you all that I can for the time being. Should anything else puzzle you, seek out Raiden. I will bid you goodnight and will see you again soon." And with that, Sindel gave the brunette a quick nod and entered her chambers.

Celeste stood in place studying the amulet for a moment or two more. She wasn't surprised that Raiden already knew about this ordeal, and though many questions still remained, she figured she would get some sleep at least before talking to the god. Of course, this only meant she would also have to tell everyone else as well.

Brilliant. Just simply brilliant.

She could only hope that the future conversation wouldn't lead to anything dramatic, but deep down, she sincerely doubted it.


Life was amusing, or at least he thought so. Just nearly a year ago, he'd succeeded in restoring the fallen Elder God's state and helped killed Earthrealm's most valuable warrior. Yet, today, he was in hiding, in Outworld of all places. What made the entire situation ironic, or very unfortunate, was that he was hiding from a man that once served him, but all was certainly not lost. Being the cunning man he was, Quan Chi always had a trick hidden in his sleeve. This time was no different.

After he escaped Scorpion's grasp in the Netherrealm, he found himself in Outworld, where he discovered tomb of the great Dragon King, Onaga. On the tomb, there was writing that not only describing an indestructible army that could be resurrected, but also a method in which to enhance his powers. It was then that this plan was hatched.

Being a necromancer, Quan Chi could definitely revive the fallen army and also put the warriors under his control. Given the current situation with Mileena being focused on her preparations for Mortal Kombat and his reluctant ally—fellow sorcerer Shang Tsung—being occupied with his obsession over some girl, he was presented with the perfect opportunity to see the plan through without interruption. Soon, he would be in control of an invincible army and would take everything for himself. After all, no one would even come close to a match for him once it was all said and done.

Forest green eyes slowly opened to the sight of a bright, golden light saturating the room. Of course, the owner of said eyes wasn't particularly happy that daybreak already came, but what could she have done about it? It wasn't as if she could mess with time or anything, though a few more hours of sleep would have been heavenly.

Celeste stretched and let out a yawn before sitting up. She managed to scoot towards the edge of the bed and slowly stand up, stifling another yawn in the process. Upon standing, she noticed folded clothing in the chair next to the door. The brunette walked towards the chair and realized that they were just the clothes she wore when arriving in Edenia, only now they were clean.

Well, most of them anyway.

Looking through the folded linens, Celeste noticed her tank top was missing. She, however, assumed it was trashed since it was mostly just shreds. Instead, in its place was a corseted, burgundy halter top with silver trimming on the straps, and beside the chair were a pair of black boots. She picked up the clothing and headed for the bath house. Once bathed and clothed, Celeste took the orange robe she slept in and placed it in the chair her clothes previously lay folded.

While opening the door, she noticed a tiny sparkle coming from the other side of the room. She turned to see the amulet still lying on the nightstand. With a sigh, she walked over and placed the charm in her pocket before leaving the room. She walked down the corridor, going over possible scenarios in her head of her future conversation with her companions, until she noticed that the door she was currently passing led to Li Mei's room.

Since receiving care for her wounds, she hadn't been able to see the Outworlder. Kitana requested that everyone allow the woman to rest so the medicines she was given would have a greater effect, but that was hours ago. Celeste couldn't deny that she was still worried about Li Mei and wanted to see how her friend was doing.

Surely it wouldn't hurt to peek in and see if she's okay...

She reached for the knob, but before she could turn it, Celeste saw something blue moving out of the corner of her eye. She dropped her hand and looked over to see Sub-Zero walking up the corridor, his cerulean eyes on her.

Déjà vu.

The brunette smirked and suppressed a chuckle as she made her way to meet the cryomancer.

"Good morning. How are you?" she asked, smiling at him.

"I am well, and yourself?" he replied, blue orbs meeting green ones.

"I'm good, I suppose. Things are a bit complicated though, with what's happened in the past couple of hours. I figure I'll fill everyone in once I find Raiden," she revealed with a slight shrug before sticking her hands in her pockets.

"I see," was all he said, choosing to keep his concerns to himself.

"Yeah… So, I have a random request… Help me find Raiden?" the brunette pleaded with a lop-sided smile. The cryomancer nodded, and they began their search for the thunder god.


Celeste stood near the door, looking at the warriors crowded around the small room. She figured it would be best to get everything out in the open at once. Everyone was present except the Edenians, Li Mei, and Scorpion, but that was to be expected. Almost all eyes were on here, and although it made her a little nervous, she met their stares anyway.

"First, I want to say that I know inviting everyone here like this was strange, but I felt it'd be much easier to get this all out at once," the brunette explained to the group, many of which either raised their brows or looked to the next person in confusion.

"Please, say what's on your mind," Kenshi encouraged with a hint of a smile.

It's now or never...

With a deep breath, Celeste began to speak.

"You see… there's an issue with my ability. Originally, I was only going to discuss this with Raiden before everyone else was dragged into it, only to figure out something so I could keep training. But now, things are an even bigger mess than before."

"What exactly is this issue?" Came a voice from the opposite side of the room. Green eyes fell upon the inquisitor, Kung Lao. The brunette closed her eyes and sighed, but still replied.

"Well, after I drain someone, I have dream-like visions about them. It's like I'll see everything through their eyes and feel what they feel. It doesn't always happen every single time, but frequently enough that I don't like using my power," she explained to the small group in front of her.

"That doesn't seem too bad, though. Right?" the actor asked.

"You would think so, but I have no say in what I get to see, and it typically ends up being some horrible shit," she grumbled, keeping her eyes on him.

"But you haven't really used it tho—"

"Except I have, on Scorpion," she retorted, interrupting the entertainer.

"You saw?" The question came from Raiden, though it sounded more like a statement. Celeste's eyes momentarily met the thunder god's, and what he saw in her eyes was enough to confirm his and everyone else's suspicions.

"It wasn't pretty," she whispered then adverted her gaze to the chandelier, unbeknown that Sub-Zero watched her with concern and a secret fear for her well-being.

"Raiden, is there not some way to remedy this?" the cryomancer asked the god but kept his eyes on Celeste.

"There is, but Celeste must discover it for herself," the thunder god replied. Upon hearing his words, the brunette perked up and darted hopeful eyes to Raiden's person.

"Really? Tell me how? Please!" She pleaded, taking a few quick steps towards Raiden.

"The amulet you received from Sindel is your key. Your mother wanted nothing more than to guide and protect you." He replied in a somber tone, unbeknown to the looks of confusion on the warriors' faces.

"Wait a minute! You mean to tell us that Sindel is your mom? So that makes Kitana's your sis, and you a princess!" cried Johnny, his eyes wide with shock.

"No, Sindel isn't my mother but apparently she knew her," Celeste sighed before continuing. "My mom actually was some Edenian woman named Panedere, or so I've been told," she mumbled, suppressing an eye-roll.

"Panedere was not just any woman. She was a sorceress who rivaled others such as Delia, Quan Chi, and even Shang Tsung in magical prowess. She did everything in her power to keep both you and Edenia safe. The amulet you now have was crafted by her own hands in such a way that it would not only strengthen your abilities but also aid you in discovering who you really are," Raiden remarked while keeping steady eye-contact with Celeste.

"Okay and exactly how is this thing supposed to help me?" Celeste asked in annoyance as she reached into her pocket and yanked out the amulet, ignoring the reactions of the others in the room. She knew that they were probably all in some state of confusion or shock, but in that moment, she didn't care. She was tired of people beating about the bush. Someone needed to actually answer her about the amulet.

"All I can tell you is that you must wear it," was Raiden's reply, causing Celeste to loudly snort.

As much as she wanted to scream, throw something, or even punch the thunder god in the throat, Celeste stayed still, save for the frown that marred her face. She decided she would wear the amulet and see if anything would happen after a while. If not, she planned on meeting with Raiden or Sindel again in the near future.

"Fine. I'll wear it," she muttered in defeat with a slight shake of her head. "Also, my apologies, everyone, but thank you for showing up, even if I only wasted your time. I'm going to go clear my head for a bit," she said, addressing the warriors. After a nod to her companions, Celeste turned and left the room, her walk conveying that she wanted to be left alone and would maul anyone who dare follow her.

Once back in her room, Celeste headed straight for the bed. She sat down on the white linen and began unzipping and removing her boots. As soon as the boots were off, she fell back onto the bed, her gaze hitting the ceiling. She stayed like that for a few minutes, deciding what to do.

"A nap sounds wonderful right now," she whispered to herself as her eyes followed the wavy pattern of the molding where the wall met the ceiling.

With a sigh, she rolled onto her side, but felt something poking her leg. Knowing what it was, she reached into her pocket and removed the amulet. She brought the charm to eye-level and studied it for a moment before eventually putting it on. She snorted at a stray thought and closed her eyes, drifting to sleep soon after.


A/N: Firstly, I'd like to thank those of you still with me. I know this chapter wasn't exciting as past ones, but there's a major point the explanations. After all, the amulet is going to be a very important factor to the outcome of this story, if you haven't already guessed. It may even be the factor that decides life or death in the end.

Just stay tuned. You don't want to miss anything.

Until next time,

~Torion